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Residents of Tiny Village in Belgium Will be Sharing a Massive Lottery Win, Taking Home $915,000 Each – Tax Free

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By Waldemar Brandt
By Waldemar Brandt

In the 1998 comedy Waking Ned Devine, a multi-million dollar lottery jackpot is split between the stunned residents of a tiny Irish village.

Well, last week, the film’s storyline became a reality for the small Belgian village of Olmen, near Anterp.

165 Olmen residents divided up an unbelievable $150 million dollars won in the Euromillions lottery. The ticket will pay out $915,000 to every individual—tax free. (That’s around €870k.)

Local shopkeeper Wim Van Broekhoven, who regularly organizes a group pot for the drawing—with each person contributing €15 ($20)—said the residents are shocked by the lucky win.

According to Euronews, One person already knows what they want to do: fulfill a lifelong dream to spend a few months in America, and hike the Grand Canyon. Another said they will split it among 3 children and many grandchildren.

EuroMillions spokesperson Joke Vermoere told Reuters it was the first time in Belgium that such a big group had won this much.

POPULAR: Best Friends Win Million Dollar Lottery and Spread the Wealth in Hometown to Help Others

“It’s a lovely story, really.”

SHARE The Win With Your Neighbors on Social Media…

Short-Term Memory Can Be Improved With Non-Invasive Laser Light Therapy Pointed at Human Brains

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University of Birmingham and Beijing Normal University
University of Birmingham and Beijing Normal University

Laser light therapy has been shown to be effective in improving short term memory, according to a new study.

Scientists demonstrated that the therapy, which is non-invasive, could improve short term memory in people by 10%, and even up to 25 percent.

Scientists at the University of Birmingham in the UK and Beijing Normal University in China demonstrated the treatment, called transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM), which is applied to an area of the brain known as the right prefrontal cortex.

This area is widely recognized as important for working memory. In their experiment, the team showed how working memory improved among research participants after several minutes of treatment. They were also able to track the changes in brain activity using electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring during treatment and testing.

Previous studies have shown that laser light treatment will improve working memory in mice, and human studies have shown tPBM treatment can improve accuracy, reaction time, and high-order functions such as attention.

This is the first study, however, to confirm a link between tPBM and working memory in humans.

RELATED: The Mechanism Behind Memory Loss in Aging Was Identified By Scientists at Johns Hopkins

“People with conditions like ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or other attention-related conditions could benefit from this type of treatment, which is safe, simple and non-invasive, with no side-effects,” said Dongwei Li, a visiting PhD student in the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Human Brain Health, and co-author on the paper.

In the study, researchers at Beijing Normal University carried out experiments with 90 male and female participants, age 18 to 25. Participants were treated with laser light to the right prefrontal cortex at wavelengths of 1064 nm, while others were treated at a shorter wavelength, or treatment was delivered to the left prefrontal cortex. Each participant was also treated with a sham (which was an inactive tPBM) to rule out the placebo effect.

After tPBM treatment over 12 minutes, the participants were asked to remember the orientations or color of a set of items displayed on a screen. The participants treated with laser light to the right prefrontal cortex showed clear improvements in memory over those who had received the other treatments. While participants receiving other treatment variations were able to remember, on average, 1.9 of the test objects, those with the targeted treatment were able to recall, on average, around 2.1 objects.

RELATED: Drug Reverses Age-Related Mental Decline Within Days, Suggesting Lost Cognitive Ability is Not Permanent

Data, including from electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring during the experiment was analyzed and showed changes in brain activity that also predicted the improvements in memory performance.

The researchers don’t yet know precisely why the treatment positively affects working memory, nor how long the effects will last. But further research is planned, so don’t break out the LED lights just yet.

LOOK: Listening to Music With a Groove Actually Boosts Brain Function

“It’s possible that the light is stimulating the mitochondria – the powerplants – in the nerve cells within the prefrontal cortex, and this has a positive effect on the cells’ efficiency,” said Professor Ole Jensen, also at the Centre for Human Brain Health.

DON’T Forget to Share the Light With Forgetful Friends on Social Media…

A Fossil Found in Museum’s Storeroom Cupboard Has Shifted the Origin of Modern Lizards Back 35 Million Years

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David Whiteside, Sophie Chambi-Trowell, Mike Benton and Natural History Museum UK / SWNS
David Whiteside, Sophie Chambi-Trowell, Mike Benton and Natural History Museum UK / SWNS

An English fossil found in a museum’s storeroom has shifted the origin of modern lizards back 35 million years, according to new research.

The specimen, retrieved from a cupboard at the Natural History Museum in London, has shown that modern lizards originated in the Late Triassic period, and not the Middle Jurassic, as previously thought.

This fossilized relative of today’s lizards—such as monitor lizards and gila monsters—came to the museum’s collection in the 1950s, from a quarry near Tortworth in Gloucestershire. The late Pamela Robinson who recovered the fossils from the quarry did not have access to CT scanning technology to help her gather all the hidden precious details.

As a modern-type lizard, scientists say the new fossil impacts “all estimates” of the origin of lizards and snakes (together called the Squamata), and affects assumptions about their rates of evolution, and even the key trigger for the origin of the group.

The research team have named their amazing discovery Cryptovaranoides microlanius—meaning ‘small butcher’ in tribute to its jaws that were filled with sharp-edged slicing teeth.

Study leader Dr. David Whiteside, of Bristol’ University’s School of Earth Sciences, recalled, “I first spotted the specimen in a cupboard full of Clevosaurus fossils.

“Our specimen was simply labelled ‘Clevosaurus and one other reptile.’ As we continued to investigate the specimen, we became more and more convinced that it was actually more closely related to modern day lizards than the Tuatara group—the only survivor of the group, the Rhynchocephalia, that split from the squamates over 240 million years ago.

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“We made X-ray scans of the fossils at the University, and this enabled us to reconstruct the fossil in three dimensions, and to see all the tiny bones that were hidden inside the rock.”

Entire fossil – David Whiteside, Sophie Chambi-Trowell, Mike Benton and Natural History Museum UK / SWNS

The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, shows that Cryptovaranoides is clearly”a squamate as it differs from the Rhynchocephalia in the brain case, in the neck vertebrae, in the shoulder region, in the presence of a median upper tooth in the front of the mouth, the way the teeth are set on a shelf in the jaws, and in the skull architecture—such as the lack of a lower temporal bar.

Dr. Whiteside said there is only one major primitive feature not found in modern squamates, an opening on one side of the end of the upper arm bone, the humerus, where an artery and nerve pass through.

Study co-author Professor Mike Benton explained, “In terms of significance, our fossil shifts the origin and diversification of squamates back from the Middle Jurassic to the Late Triassic.

“This was a time of major restructuring of ecosystems on land, with origins of new plant groups, especially modern-type conifers, as well as new kinds of insects, and some of the first of modern groups such as turtles, crocodilians, dinosaurs, and mammals.

RELATED: Snake Photo Posted on Instagram Leads to Discovery of New Species From the Himalayas

David Whiteside, Sophie Chambi-Trowell, Mike Benton and Natural History Museum UK / SWNS

“Adding the oldest modern squamates then completes the picture.

“It seems these new plants and animals came on the scene as part of a major rebuilding of life on Earth after the end-Permian mass extinction 252 million years ago, and especially the Carnian Pluvial Episode, 232 million years ago when climates fluctuated between wet and dry and caused great perturbation to life.”

ALSO: Iguanas Successfully Reintroduced to Galapagos Island After They Were Last Seen By Darwin 184 Years Ago

“The name of the new animal, Cryptovaranoides microlanius, reflects the hidden nature of the beast in a drawer, but also in its likely lifestyle—living in cracks in the limestone on small islands that existed around Bristol at the time, where it would have preyed on arthropods and small vertebrates.” said PhD research student Sofia Chambi-Trowell.

“This is a very special fossil and likely to become one of the most important found in the last few decades,” concluded Whiteside.

SLITHER The News to Reptile-Loving Friends on Social Media…

The Funniest Wildlife Photos of 2022 Win Big Laughs in Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

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‘Talk to the fin’ The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022 / Jennifer Hadley
‘Talk to the fin’ People’s Choice Award, Falkland Islands – The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022 / Jennifer Hadley

It’s the most popular photography competition in the world—because the winning photos are some the funniest moments of mirth on Earth.

Some of the most famous photographers from 85 countries submitted their most spontaneous snaps, capturing the amusing side of nature, in a bid to win the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.

The contest was founded in 2015 by Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sullam, both professional photographers and passionate conservationists who wanted create a competition that focused on the lighter, humorous side of wildlife photography.

The online competition is free to enter, yet both money and awareness are raised for a charity partner each year—in 2022, the fantastic Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN)—with 10% of net revenue donated.

The overall winner of this year’s competition, which saw 5,000 incredible entries, is Jennifer Hadley, for her perfectly timed photograph of a lion cub losing its grip on a tree trunk entitled ‘Not so cat-like reflexes.’

The image was captured in the Serengeti, when Jennifer managed to capture the exact moment a young 3-month-old cub attempted to descend from a tree, and it didn’t go so well. She had already positioned her camera, then the unexpected happened.

“I think part of what makes this contest great is that most of these photos probably happen by complete accident and that was certainly the case with the lion cub falling out of the tree,” she explained. “How often do cats fall out of trees?”

LOOK: Magnificent Picture of Ape ​​Cuddling Another Species is Finalist in Wildlife Photographer of the Year – SEE Photos

‘Not so cat-like reflexes‘ – The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022 / Jennifer Hadley

“It was probably his first time ever in a tree and he decided to just go for it. Happily, as cats do, he righted himself just in time.”

As the 2022 Comedy Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Jennifer won an African safari trip to Kenya. She also won the Affinity Photo Award and People’s Choice Award for her charming shot of two penguins (pictured above).

“I really love this photo contest because it’s just so different from anything else and really shows off the personalities of the animals,” says Jennifer.

‘Hello Everyone’ by Miroslav Srb / The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022

The Creatures of the Air Category Award was won by Jean Jacques Alcalay with ‘Misleading African Viewpoints’, which shows a hippo looking like he’s about to scoff a great blue heron whole.

‘Misleading African viewpoints’, Kruger National Park, South Africa – The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022 / Jean-Jacques Alcalay

The bird seems completely oblivious—maybe that is because he knows that, in fact, the hippo is actually having a yawn.

‘I’m gonna strangle you!’ features meerkats in South Africa – Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022 / Emmanuel Do Linh San

“With so much going on in the world, we could all use a bumper dose of fun and laughter and this year’s finalists have definitely delivered that,” said Sullam in a press release.

‘Excuse Me… Pardon Me!’ – The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022 /
Ryan Sims
‘Tight Fit!’, 2 baby Eastern screech owls in Florida – The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022 /
Mark Schocken
‘Pegasus, the flying horse’, featuring an Indian Saras Crane attacking a Bluebull from behind, India
– The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022 / Jagdeep Rajput

Sullam summed it up perfectly: “When you see these amazing photographs, like the wallaby at sunset—seemingly about to launch another wallaby into space—it makes you smile and wonder at the incredible animals that are on this earth with us.”

CHECK OUT: Mom’s Zoo Pic is Adorably Photo-bombed by Stingray With Remarkable Resemblance to Her Daughter

Two wallabies – The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022 / Michael Eastwell

SEND These Adorable Moments of Nature to Your Flock by Sharing on Social Media… AND, Check out the 2021 winning photos: From Cheeky Bears to Goofy Gophers, See the Fun Finalists of the Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards

“To be free, you must have your own hypothesis about what you are called to do, and follow it, not giving in to circumstances.” – Andrei Tarkovsky

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Quote of the Day: “To be free, you must have your own hypothesis about what you are called to do, and follow it, not giving in to circumstances.” – Andrei Tarkovsky 

Photo by: Ken Brown, CC License

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

More Than Half of Adults Would Welcome a Pre-Owned Gift This Christmas

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Kira auf-der-Heide
Kira auf-der-Heide

According to a new survey, more than half of adults would welcome a pre-owned gift this Christmas—especially to save people money and act more sustainably by extending a product’s life.

The poll of 2,000 people who celebrate Christmas, showed 19 percent expected to receive a second-hand gift this year—with 29 percent expecting the practice to become more common in the future.

More than half (58 percent) would feel positive about unwrapping a pre-owned item, and 46 percent said they would happily give one.

Already, almost four in ten respondents have purchased a pre-owned gift ahead of Christmas at some year in the past.

The top reasons for doing so were saving money (50 percent), affording an item which would otherwise be out of their price range (44 percent), and to help products have a longer lifespan (41 percent).

Amazon Warehouse in the UK, which sells refurbished and pre-owned products, commissioned the survey, which also revealed that 38 percent plan to take sustainability into consideration when shopping for presents for this festive season.

But, overall, 26 percent believe there is a stigma about giving such gifts. Even so, 31 percent believe giving and receiving pre-owned products should be normalized.

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“As a nation, we’re becoming more conscious consumers and it’s exciting to see so many people are open to shopping for nearly-new products,” said John Boumphrey, a UK manager at Amazon. “Pre-owned doesn’t have to mean worn or outdated, often products have simply been unboxed but still work as good as new.

The top pre-owned items people are happy to receive were books (50 percent), jewelry (31 percent), and artwork (30 percent).

And the most popular tech gifts to get ‘nearly-new’ were mobile phones (21 percent), laptops (20 percent), and tablets (20 percent).

RELATED: Half of People Say Holiday Season Should Last Longer–With 74% Saying Holiday Prepping Puts Them in a Good Mood

The top places to buy pre-owned or refurbished gifts were eBay.com, thrift stores, and Amazon.

Nearly one in five estimated they had saved more than $244 annually over the past five years.

21 percent of those surveyed by OnePoll think it can be hard to tell the difference between these products and new goods—and 17 percent have noticed more retailers offering nearly-new or pre-owned items.

Dramatic Rescue Shows Community Teaming up to Save 4 Horses That Fell Through Ice into Freezing Pond

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Amber Countryman / Youtube
Amber Countryman / Youtube

A team of neighbors, firefighters, and animal control officers worked for hours in the freezing weather to rescue four horses that fell through an icy pond.

The South Kalispell Fire Department responded to the scene near Patrick Creek in Montana, after the four horses fell through the ice, and were stuck up to their necks.

A video shared by Amber Countryman shows the numerous attempts to pull out the horses, each one failing until the rescuers eventually harnessed some extra ‘horse power’ when they brought in a tractor.

A dozen people, including firefighters, staff from Flathead County Animal Control, as well as neighbors, all worked together to free the horses.

They first tried to make makeshift pontoons from pallets and other pieces of wood in an attempt to make a ramp.

They then tried to pull one horse out of the water by using a long rope, taking care to avoid breaking any its legs, but they still couldn’t free the animal completely.

Split screen of two different moments from rescue video shot by Amber Countryman / Youtube

Eventually, all four horses were removed safely by using a harness attached to a tractor.

They were all taken to a veterinary clinic where they received care.

POPULAR: Utah Man Jumps Into Icy River to Save Woman Attempting Suicide at the Same Spot Where he First Dated His Wife

Watch the video below showing the community working together…

HAIL the Montana Horse Rescuers By Sharing on Social Media…

Mom Discovers Her Son’s Elf Mysteriously Lost a Leg so Concocts Elaborate Ruse to Keep Magic Alive

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Kennedy News and Media / SWNS

A mom discovered that her son’s elf had mysteriously lost a leg while he was in school—so she spent hours concocting an elaborate back story to keep the magic alive.

Lauren Weir introduced the elf toy to her 4-year-old son Tommy for the first time on December 1st, but that evening she was horrified to discover that his right leg had been torn off and was now nowhere to be found.

“I completely panicked. It was only day one and he was already so in love, I was like ‘oh my god what am I going to do’. I didn’t have time to go out and get another one.

“If I didn’t fix it I knew he’d be devastated, yet I knew if it lost a leg he’d just accept it—but it needed to have a story about why it was gone.

The 30-year-old then scrambled to salvage her son’s beloved elf by stitching closed the hole so the white stuffing inside wasn’t showing. Then, she came up with an imaginative cover story to explain the missing limb.

She staged a dinosaur attack using the schoolboy’s toys and explained that the ‘naughty’ beasts had eaten the elf’s leg, rendering him an amputee.

“He was so excited when he came downstairs the next day, he was like ‘where’s his leg?’. I was like, ‘the dinosaurs must have eaten it!’

Kennedy News and Media / SWNS

Eventually he grabbed his Iron Man action figure to fight back and teach the “naughty dinosaurs” a lesson.

The boy, in Hertfordshire, England, thinks it’s great that his elf survived a dinosaur attack—and the ruse has led to more fun surprises.

When Tommy expressed worry about how his elf would get around without his leg, the creative mom ‘put a call in to Santa’ and had an elf-sized wheelchair ‘delivered’ the next day.

“He was concerned about how the elf was going to get around only having one leg so I made a call to Santa in front of him and requested that he send some crutches or a wheelchair to the elf.

WATCH: Firefighter Dresses Like Buddy The Elf And Starts Pillow Fights With Shoppers–and it’s Hilarious

Lauren posted a video about the toy’s ordeal online with the caption: “This elf is going to take over my life,” after spending hours stitching his leg and building a Lego wheelchair.

The next day when the boy came down the elf was sitting on his wheelchair throne, which could be pushed to roll around the house.

SWNS / Kennedy

“Santa’s really good at making Lego wheelchairs,” cooed Tommy.

“The wheelchair took ages because I was trying to be quiet sifting through the Lego—because it’s so noisy—trying to make it from Christmas colors, red and green.”

RELATED: When Dog Chews Girl’s Beloved Elf on the Shelf, Hospital Works Magic With a Little Help From Santa

The magical character has since gone on to bring more joy in the household.

Creative elf scenes in their home have included an ‘advent calendar truck’ delivery full of chocolate coins and sweets and a fishing scene on the top of their aquarium tank with a fishing rod made out of a shoelace.

“We’ll be keeping this elf; he loves him so much even with one leg.

CHECK OUT: Winter Hilarity Continues in Annual Name-a-Snowplow Contest: Join ‘Snowbi Wan Kenobi’ with Your Submissions

“I’m praying that the leg doesn’t turn up because then I’m really going to have to wrack my brain to cover that up somehow.”

Display This Sweet Story on Your Social Media Shelf to Share With Elves Worldwide…

Your Inspired Weekly Horoscope From Rob Brezsny: A ‘Free Will Astrology’

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Our partner Rob Brezsny provides his weekly wisdom to enlighten our thinking and motivate our mood. Rob’s Free Will Astrology, is a syndicated weekly column appearing in over a hundred publications. He is also the author of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How All of Creation Is Conspiring To Shower You with Blessings. (A free preview of the book is available here.)

Here is your weekly horoscope…

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY – Week of December 10, 2022
Copyright by Rob Brezsny, FreeWillAstrology.com

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Of all the signs in the zodiac, you Sagittarians are least likely to stay in one location for extended periods. Many of you enjoy the need to move around from place to place. Doing so may be crucial in satisfying your quest for ever-fresh knowledge and stimulation. You understand that it’s risky to get too fixed in your habits and too dogmatic in your beliefs. So you feel an imperative to keep disrupting routines before they become deadening. When you are successful in this endeavor, it’s often due to a special talent you have: your capacity for creating an inner sense of home that enables you to feel stable and grounded as you ramble free. I believe this superpower will be extra strong during the coming months.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Capricorn author Edgar Allan Poe made this mysterious statement: “We can, at any time, double the true beauty of an actual landscape by half closing our eyes as we look at it.” What did he mean? He was referring to how crucial it is to see life “through the veil of the soul.” Merely using our physical vision gives us only half the story. To be receptive to the full glory of the world, our deepest self must also participate in the vision. Of course, this is always true. But it’s even more extra especially true than usual for you right now.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Aquarian theologian Henri Nouwen wrote, “I have discovered that the gifts of life are often hidden in the places that hurt most.” Yikes! Really? I don’t like that idea. But I will say this: If Nouwen’s theory has a grain of truth, you will capitalize on that fact in the coming weeks. Amazingly enough, a wound or pain you experienced in the past could reveal a redemptive possibility that inspires and heals you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Piscean novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen says it’s wise to talk to yourself. No other conversational partner is more fascinating. No one else listens as well. I offer you his advice in the hope of encouraging you to upgrade the intensity and frequency of your dialogs with yourself. It’s an excellent astrological time to go deeper with the questions you pose and to be braver in formulating your responses. Make the coming weeks be the time when you find out much more about what you truly think and feel.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Aries filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky wrote, “To be free, you simply have to be so, without asking permission. You must have your own hypothesis about what you are called to do, and follow it, not giving in to circumstances or complying with them. But that sort of freedom demands powerful inner resources, a high degree of self-awareness, and a consciousness of your responsibility to yourself and therefore to other people.” That last element is where some freedom-seekers falter. They neglect their obligation to care for and serve their fellow humans. I want to make sure you don’t do that, Aries, as you launch a new phase of your liberation process. Authentic freedom is conscientious.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
The term “neurodiversity” refers to the fact that the human brain functions in a wide variety of ways. There are not just a few versions of mental health and learning styles that are better than all the others. Taurus musician David Byrne believes he is neurodiverse because he is on the autism spectrum. That’s an advantage, he feels, giving him the power to focus with extra intensity on his creative pursuits. I consider myself neurodiverse because my life in the imaginal realm is just as important to me as my life in the material world. I suspect that most of us are neurodiverse in some sense—deviating from “normal” mental functioning. What about you, Taurus? The coming months will be an excellent time to explore and celebrate your own neurodiversity.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Poet Jane Hirshfield says that Zen Buddhism is built on three principles: 1. Everything changes. 2. Everything is connected. 3. Pay attention. Even if you are not a Zen practitioner, Gemini, I hope you will focus on the last two precepts in the coming weeks. If I had to summarize the formula that will bring you the most interesting experiences and feelings, it would be, “Pay attention to how everything is connected.” I hope you will intensify your intention to see how all the apparent fragments are interwoven. Here’s my secret agenda: I think it will help you register the truth that your life has a higher purpose than you’re usually aware of—and that the whole world is conspiring to help you fulfill that purpose.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Author Flannery O’Connor wrote, “You have to cherish the world at the same time that you struggle to endure it.” I will add a further thought: “You have to cherish the world at the same time that you struggle to endure it and strive to transform it into a better place.” Let’s make this one of your inspirational meditations in the coming months, Cancerian. I suspect you will have more power than usual to transform the world into a better place. Get started! (PS: Doing so will enhance your ability to endure and cherish.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Many sports journalists will tell you that while they may root for their favorite teams, they also “root for the story.” They want a compelling tale to tell. They yearn for dramatic plot twists that reveal entertaining details about interesting characters performing unique feats. That’s how I’m going to be in the coming months Leo, at least in relation to you. I hope to see you engaged in epic sagas, creating yourself with verve as you weave your way through fun challenges and intriguing adventures. I predict my hope will be realized.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Venus is too hot and dry for humans to live on. But if travelers from Earth could figure out a way to feel comfortable there, they would enjoy a marvelous perk. The planet rotates very slowly. One complete day and night lasts for 243 Earth days and nights. That means you and a special friend could take a romantic stroll toward the sunset for as long as you wanted, and never see the sun go down. I invite you to dream up equally lyrical adventures in togetherness here on Earth during the coming months, Virgo. Your intimate alliances will thrive as you get imaginative and creative about nurturing togetherness.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
As far as I’m concerned, Libran Buddhist monk and author Thích Nhất Hạnh was one of the finest humans who ever lived. “Where do you seek the spiritual?” he asked. His answer: “You seek the spiritual in every ordinary thing that you do every day. Sweeping the floor, watering the vegetables, and washing the dishes become sacred if mindfulness is there.” In the coming weeks, Libra, you will have exceptional power to live like this: to regard every event, however mundane or routine, as an opportunity to express your soulful love and gratitude for the privilege of being alive. Act as if the whole world is your precious sanctuary.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
A reader named Elisa Jean tells me, “We Scorpio allies admire how Scorpios can be so solicitous and welcoming: the best party hosts. They know how to foster social situations that bring out the best in everyone and provide convivial entertainment. Yet Scorpios also know everyone’s secrets. They are connoisseurs of the skeletons in the closets. So they have the power to spawn discordant commotions and wreak havoc on people’s reputations. But they rarely do. Instead, they keep the secrets. They use their covert knowledge to weave deep connections.” Everything Elisa Jean described will be your specialties in the coming weeks, Scorpio.

WANT MORE? Listen to Rob’s EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, 4-5 minute meditations on the current state of your destiny — or subscribe to his unique daily text message service at: RealAstrology.com

(Zodiac images by Numerologysign.com, CC license)

SHARE The Wisdom With Friends Who Are Stars in Your Life on Social Media…

“Rest in the hollow seed of stillness that contains all right doing.” – Fred Lamotte

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Quote of the Day: “Rest in the hollow seed of stillness that contains all right doing.” – Fred Lamotte

Photo by: Mario Dobelmann

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

Clever Dog Collects Hundreds of Plastic Bottles During Walks – to Recycle Litter and Clean His Town

By
Andy Corbley
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- SWNS
– SWNS

A clever recycling dog is helping clear the streets of litter by collecting hundreds of plastic bottles during his daily walks.

Scruff, a 13-year-old border collie, has been dubbed “the eco dog” by local residents who love watching him do his part for the environment.

Owners David Grant and Yvonne Faulkner-Grant adopted Scruff from a farm in 2009. Like so many puppies, he loved to play with sticks, but a fear of mouth splinters lead to Yvonne discouraging such behavior. Instead he began to play with plastic bottles.

Years past, and it was 2021 when David and Yvonne first noticed on their walks that their litter-picking hound had a fascination for plastic bottles. He’d pick one up, and carry it until he found another one.

“It seemed wrong that he would pick the bottle up and then drop it again—we thought people would think we were dropping litter,” said Yvonne. “So we got him to start bringing the bottles to us and we put them in a bag and then count them up at the end of the walk.”

CHECK OUT: Group of Birds Employed by French Theme Park to Pick Up Trash

The counting began in 2022, as it never occured to their owners before. And after a slow start with just 40 in January, Scruff has now retrieved more than 1,000.

Over the last year, the couple have been sharing their pet’s green credentials on social media using the #scruffsbottlepatrol hashtag.

“We get such a good reaction on Facebook where Scruff has been dubbed an eco-dog,” said Yvonne.

“People have said he should be working for the council, and everybody loves it when they see him in the street,” said David. “He is such an obedient dog and very friendly—your typical sheep dog. He never chews the bottles or the lids he just [wantedd] to play.”

“Now, he seems to go out looking for them on walks.”

RELATED: Cute Dog Walking Around Golf Course has Collected 6,000 Lost Golf Balls Which Are Donated to Charities

They are currently storing them all on one side of the garden, where they will sit until New Years, when the couple will do a big count. Come 2023, Scruff will continue to clean the streets and parks on his walks, but the couple have said they will recycle the bottles every month instead.

– SWNS

“Sometimes he collects 15 and sometimes it’s only one—it depends how dirty the streets are that day,” said David. “Someone said to me the other day that not all heroes wear capes and that is exactly what I think Scruff is doing—being a hero.”

“If a dog can do it anyone can.”

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Winter Hilarity Continues in Annual Name-a-Snowplow Contest: Join ‘Snowbi Wan Kenobi’ with Your Submissions

By
Andy Corbley
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The Massachusettes Name a Snowplow contest is just one of many around the country.
The Massachusettes Name a Snowplow contest is just one of many around the country.

For the third year in a row, Minnesota is opening the now-traditional “Name a Snowplow” contest to residential voting.

The contest, held by the MN Department of Transportation, has included past winners that include Betty Whiteout, Plowy McPlowFace, Ctrl Salt Delete, Snowbi Wan Kenobi, “Ope, Just Gonna Plow Right Past Ya”, and The Truck Formerly Known As Plow.

Voters are encouraged to head to the DoT website to cast their vote, with submissions open until next Friday, the 16th. The only limitations are a 30 character name that excludes vulgarity and political partisanship.

RELATED:  The Public Gave Names to Over 50 Snowplows in Scotland And They are Hilarious!

This is fast becoming an international tradition all over not just America, but the Northern Hemisphere. Contests are also being held by the Ohio DoT, the Massachusettes DoT, the Nebraska DoT, and several cities in Canada like Edmunton, and Calgary.

It became an even better idea since the adoption of map applications that gave residents in blizzard-prone areas real-time updates on the positioning of the snowplows.

Last year, GNN reported of a similar contest in Scotland, which included winners like, “You’re a Blizzard Harry,” Brinestone Ploughboy, Lord Coldemort, Spreddie Van Halen, Mary Queen of Salt, and On Her Majesty’s Slippery Surface.

In Minnesota, 8 winners will be chosen, all of which will feature in each district.

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Potatoes Don’t Deserve Their Bad Reputation–Here’s Why You Should Rethink the Spud

By
Andy Corbley
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Data from Denmark has shown that as more and more Westerners shun the humble potato for other vegetables, its reputation as a carb-heavy diabetes risk is unfounded.

There are many different ways to prepare potatoes, and the data indicates that this is why they are looked at unfavorably from a health perspective.

“In previous studies, potatoes have been positively linked to incidence of diabetes, regardless of how they’re prepared—but we found that’s not true,” said Edith Cowan University Ph.D. candidate Pratik Pokharel.

To examine this, Pokharel looked at self-reported data from 54,000 people from the Danish Diet, Cancer, and Health study, a long term study with the objective to produce a dataset which could be examined for trends and patterns the way Pokharel did.

“In Denmark, people consume potatoes prepared in many different ways; in our study, we could distinguish between the different preparation methods, and when we separated boiled potatoes from mashed potatoes, fries, or [chips], boiled potatoes were no longer associated with a higher risk of diabetes: they had a null effect,” said Pokharel.

Most chips and french fries are cooked in ultra-processed vegetable oils—one of the least-healthy calorie sources in the American diet. Mashed potatoes often include things like butter, cream, or cheese, which can contain a lot of calories, but because they’re processed once from the original source (milk) and then processed a second time (melted into the potatoes) those calories are not triggering satiety mechanisms the same way whole foods will.

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Boiled or roasted potatos on the other hand maintain the natural food matrix, preserve the rich sources of resistant starch—the form of fiber in potatoes—all of which means their effect on blood sugar levels is reduced.

There was another aspect of the data which Pokheral parsed out—the place of processed potatoes in a meal.

RELATED: New Study of ‘MIND’ Diet Shows It May Improve Memory and Thinking Skills in Old Age

“In our study, people who ate the most potatoes also consumed more butter, red meat and soft drink—foods known to increase your risk of type 2 diabetes,” he said.

In the largest meta-analysis on red meat consumption ever done, there was no health benefit observed from excluding red meat from the diet. This came as a surprise to many, and it was widely reported. In essence, the meta-analysis found that red meat suffers from the same guilt-by-association that potatoes are burdened with.

When the humble spud is prepared without fats, there’s no reason to avoid it. Roasted potatos in the oven with their skins on, covered in rosemary and a bit of salt, and drizziled with cold olive oil is one of the great Italian preparations for the vegetable, which contains a lot of fiber, and more potassium than a banana.

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Strangers Join Together to Rent 15-Passenger Van after Flight was Canceled–Take 10-hour Road Trip Instead

By
Andy Corbley
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A group of strangers banded together to rent a 15-person van after their flight was cancelled and went on a eight-hour road trip to their destination. See SWNS story SWSMvan. Alanah Story, 23, was travelling from Orlando, Florida to Knoxville, Tennessee when her flight home was cancelled. She had been visiting her family in Orlando with her mother Renee, 45, and her godmother, Robin, 50. Alanah and her family arrived at Orlando International airport for their 7 pm flight but found out that it was delayed. After waiting over an hour, their flight was eventually cancelled, leaving the group with little recourse to make their appointments on time. Alanah's mother Renee tried to get them booked on another flight but the airline Frontier was unable to give them assurances that they will be able to flight out that night. While at help desk, Renee met Carlos, a police officer also heading to Knoxville to visit the University of Tennessee with his daughter Michaela. The two agreed that they could rent a van and drive to Knoxville, located over 1,000 km (650 miles) away from Orlando. They suggested the idea to several passengers and they were able to gather a group of 13 passengers.
– SWNS

A determined mother’s positive thinking got her daughter home when her flight was canceled by helping to organize other stranded passengers to pitch in for a rental car.

Alanah Story was set for a 7:00 PM flight from Orlando to Knoxville when like so many others this year, it was delayed, then canceled.

Alanah’s mother Renee tried to book them on another flight, but Frontier Airlines was unable to give them assurances that they will be able to fly out that night.

While at help desk, Renee met Carlos, a police officer who “doesn’t argue” and was also heading to Knoxville for a 10:00 AM appointment with his daughter the next morning at a university. The two agreed that they could rent a van to drive there.

“I was off to one side because I didn’t want to be involved, my mom just turned to me and said ‘we’re headed downstairs to get a van, come on people!'” said Alanah. “Like 15 people followed her, I was just wondering what was happening.”

What was happening was that Carlos and Renee had suggested the idea to several passengers and they were able to gather a group of 13.

Among the rest of the group were Johan and Adolf, from Mexico, Michelle, who was headed to a farming convention in Knoxville as a keynote speaker, and Q, who was simply trying to get home.

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What started as a journey of convenience, ended after 650 miles, paced over 10 hours, with some brand new friendships.

“We made our 10:00 AM appointment, all because of a community that came together,” said Carlos in a video he posted to his TikTok.

Seth, another traveler, added that he “tried to nap a good bit, but I’d like to think that I was good moral support to Carlos, the driver, so I’m gonna go with that.”

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“It was not a quiet ride,” Alanah said, “no one was getting any sleep on that drive, I think I slept around 20 minutes. I really couldn’t have picked a better group of people to make the trip with.”

Alanah made friends with Q, who lives in Knoxville, and the two are planning on going out for karaoke soon. Carlos’ wife Lauren and Alanah’s mother Renee have also kept in touch.

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“The whole experience really confirmed my faith in humanity for a little bit, in the States right now we’re going through a period of division, so it was nice to see.”

In the end, all the passengers managed to keep their appointments, Carlos’ daughter made it to the university appointment and Michelle was able to deliver her speech as the keynote speaker.

ALANAH interviewed the whole gang, take a look!

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“Reflect upon your present blessings of which everyone has many—not on your past misfortunes, of which all people have some.” – Charles Dickens

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Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Reflect upon your present blessings of which everyone has many—not on your past misfortunes, of which all people have some.” – Charles Dickens

Photo by: Lin Po-Tsen

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After Her Book Launch Flops, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman and Margaret Atwood Swoop in With Support for Debut Author

By
Andy Corbley
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Chelsea Banning
Chelsea Banning

New author Chelsea Banning tweeted to being “a little embarrassed” after the first book signing of her first book was attended by no one but her two friends.

A blessing in disguise it was, as her tweet somehow attracted a large crowd of authors ranging from successful to legendary, sharing their own stories of book-signing flops.

The first to comment was bestselling crime author Linwood Barclay.

“Once sat out front of mall bookshop for a signing,” Barclay tweeted. “No one stopped, until the very end, when an old guy paused, looked at me, looked at the books, looked at me, approached and asked, ‘Do they sell flags here?’”

This was followed by even more famous names: maybe you’ve heard of them.

Some hours after Neil Gaiman and Margret Atwood helped console Banning, Stephen King arrived with his own anecdote.

Banning was optimistic upon arriving at Pretty Good Books in Ashtabula, Ohio, on the release weekend of her novel Of Crowns and Legends. She had secured 37 RSVPs for the signing, but only two friends came who she chatted to before becoming disappointed that no one else showed up.

“I have sat lonely at a signing table many times only to have someone approach … and ask me where the bathroom is,” serial author Jodi Picoult chimed in.

RELATED: High Schooler Self-Publishes Fantasy Novel Over Lockdowns as Break From Video Games-Gets Orders Worldwide

Fonzy actor Henry Winkler, who mused that it was only the beginning, and Flavor Flav of all people piled on as well, with the latter saying “Here to hype up ya next signing!”

Sales of her book on Amazon have skyrocketed, and she admitted to the Guardian to being “elated” and “definitely reassured.”

At the end of her career, there’s every chance it will be the most memorable book signing of them all.

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True ‘River Monster’ of the Amazon Has Recovered Thanks to New Sustainable Fishing

By
Andy Corbley
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Photo by Verena Schäuble – CC license
Photo by Verena Schäuble – CC license

Some of the best conservation stories in history begin by properly organizing and regulating the hunting of that animal, and the “pirarucu” or arapaima, of the Amazon River Basin is a perfect example.

It used to take fishermen five days or more to land one, but sustainable fishing laws have have quadrupled their adult populations in some waterways, and increased them 10-fold in others.

The pirarucu is a prehistoric beast of a fish, with a gaping maw, red scales, and under-developed fins. They can weigh as much as 450 pounds (220 kilos) and grow 10 feet in length (3 meters).

Famous TV fisherman Jeremy Wade recorded an episode of his show River Monsters about reported pirarucu attacks on people; such is their monstrous size.

But for fishermen, who trap them with nets and wooden clubs, a single large adult inspires joy rather than dread, and can fetch $100—a major boon to their families who get by with subsistence farming outside the short fishing season.

During the 1960s, improved boat motors, ice machines, and fishing equipment led to overfishing of the pirarucu, and it wasn’t until the 90s that river-dwelling locals, indigenous communities, and Dutch missionaries banded together to petition the government for protection of the area from illegal fishermen.

In 2011 the managed fishing began, and every year since then fishermen row out to the lakes and floodplains of regions like Carauari, São Raimundo, Mamirarua, and Medio Jurua to count the pirarucu adults.

Along with being the largest fish in the Amazon Basin, they are also unique in that they need to surface for air—which like whales they sometimes do by slapping the water with their bright red tails.

The numbers are reported to environmental authorities, and 30% of that number is allowed to be caught in a three-week period of September the following year when water levels are lowest. Each one caught is tagged so buyers in Manaus—a large city three-days journey down the river, can be sure it wasn’t poached.

RELATED: Because Amazon Tribes Were Trusted, A True River Monster Was Saved

According to AP,  there were 1,335 pirarucus in the São Raimundo region in 2011. Last year, there were 4,092 specimens, according to their records.

In the Carauari region, the number of pirarucu spiked from 4,916, in 2011, to 46,839, ten years later.

“Our pirarucu is so tasty, everybody that eats it falls in love with it and wants more,” Rosilda da Cunha, a sister of Manoel who lives in Sao Raimundo, told the AP.

The money these extremely rural communities make from this fishing is allowing them to buy solar panel arrays to supplement the diesel generators they use for electricity.

SIMILAR: Incredible Discovery Beneath the Southern Amazon Reveals Urban-Agrarian Society Never Seen Before

In America, every charismatic bird and mammal seemed to have its own brush with extinction. Regulated hunting was a piece of the conservation puzzle that led to massive recoveries—some of which led to flourishing of greater numbers than were seen when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth.

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Overdose Prevention Vending Machine Has Stopped Hundreds of Deaths from Fentanyl in Cincinnati

By
Andy Corbley
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The vending machines outside Caracole.
The vending machine outside Caracole.

Wanting to see if a simple idea could help a huge problem, a Cincinnati health center filled a vending machine with overdose prevention equipment and asked a university to record its uses.

From February to November in 2021, a call center registered 637 anonymous people for the program giving them an access code to the vending machine, which then distributed 3,360 naloxone doses and 10,155 fentanyl test strips.

Located in Hamilton County, Ohio, the machine is credited for a reduction in drug overdose deaths—as well as HIV incidence—and is still operating at the Caracole HIV/AIDS treatment center.

A University of Cincinnati scientist studying its effects, Daniel Arendt, described the method as “harm reduction,” which acknowledges that some people always have used drugs, and probably always will, even if they are potentially lethal in large doses.

Harm reduction, as the Univ. of Cincinnati press release describes, is a paradigm that “does not support or enable drug use, but instead aims to empathetically meet people where they are in the course of their drug use and help empower them to take steps which minimize the potential hazards associated with its use.”

To this end, program participants were able to visit the vending machine 24/7, away from prying eyes and judgmental glances.

Naloxone is the drug that can counteract opioid overdoses, and the test strips can test drugs, like heroin, that can potentially contain fentanyl. The machine also has safer injection kits, tourniquets, and bandages.

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The machine was first conceived, put together, and operated by Caracole, an HIV/AIDS service organization in Cincinnati with the help of their non-profit partner Interact for Health.

“If you are interested in stopping, we’re here to help,” said Arendt. “But if not, we aren’t going to turn you away and refuse to help. We are going to work with you and help you take steps that will help keep you safe.”

RELATED: Instead of Buying New Car, Retired Paramedic Spends $40K on Overdose Prevention Kits and Already Saved 94 Lives

Some of the results are extremely encouraging. At the time the study was published, clients reported 288 overdoses were reversed with naloxone, a number which almost reached 1,000 by the time of writing. More than two-thirds of those who reenrolled after their first enrollment detected fentanyl present in the drugs they were consuming.

“You would never tell someone who has wildly uncontrolled diabetes to get their blood sugar in check before we will help them or give them insulin,” Arendt said.

“So it is critical to recognize that substance use is not a moral failing, and it’s not this thing that should be stigmatized. Instead, we can acknowledge that drug use is becoming increasingly risky, and we can use that recognition to help spur the development of new, innovative methods of providing people with the care, services and support that they need, no strings attached.”

READ ALSO: Drug to Reverse a Loved One’s Heroin Overdose Now Readily Available on Walgreens Shelves

These sorts of vending machines have some data of their use in Europe that show they do help, and Arendt’s data is the first research done in America, despite such machines being located in Las Vegas and Puerto Rico.

Editor’s note: This story has been altered to correctly reflect Caracole’s inception and leadership of the project, and that the machine is still where it was found during the study period. 

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Woman’s Name and Tiny Sketches Found in 1,300-Year-Old Medieval Text was Hidden for 12 Centuries

By
Andy Corbley
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Human beings have a well-known urge to leave marks of our passing on things we interact with, and a new state-of-the-art 3D scan of a Medieval manuscript has shown just that.

“Eadburg” was her name; an 8th century scribe translating the Acts of the Apostles during the Monastic period in England from Latin into Old English, who left her name and several stick-figure like drawings on the manuscript.

Questions abound—she used no ink, only the dry point of her quill; her full name was etched into the manuscript’s margins five times, while abbreviations appear another ten times.

The 3D imaging of the manuscript was carried out at the Bodleian Library at Oxford, under the work of the ARCHiOx Project of using a new technology to scan many of the library’s most treasured artifacts for exactly this kind of hidden information.

“It’s a hugely significant and very powerful text—the word of God, conveyed through the apostles. And I think that might be at least part of the reason why somebody chose to write Eadburg’s name into it, so that she was close to that,” said Jessica Hodgkinson, a Ph.D. student at the University of Leicester who made the discovery.

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The manuscript also includes two doodles—there’s no other way to describe them—of a person with outstretched arms and a second who is turning their back on the first, with a hand raised in protest trailing behind.

Hodgkinson hopes to study the names and doodles further in the coming months, as well as perhaps try to pinpoint who Eadburg might have been.

Since those who could speak and write both Old English and Latin were among the most educated in society during the 8th century, it’s possible records of the woman scribe exist, in particular, Hodgkinson has found, an abbess from Kent with the same name.

SIMILAR: Smells Like History: Academics Recreate the Lost Smells of Europe for Museums

“We don’t know all that much about Eadburg, but now, because of this amazing technology, we’ve seen her name, we know she was there,” said Hodgkinson. “She’s here, in this book —and it speaks across the centuries.”

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“Difficulties illuminate existence, but they must be fresh and of high quality.” – Tom Robbins

By
Good News Network
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Quote of the Day: “Difficulties illuminate existence, but they must be fresh and of high quality.” – Tom Robbins

Photo by: Louis Hansel

With a new inspirational quote every day, atop the perfect photo—collected and archived on our Quotes page—why not bookmark GNN.org for a daily uplift?

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